Elevated carrier.



EATENTEDJAN- 14, 1908. A. H. NELLER.

ELEVATED CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1907. 2 BHEETS SHBET 1' H I I I I Mr! H ,41/ZMZAKAZZZm.

W/I/VESSES: IIVVENTOR ATTORNEY ALBERT H. NELLER, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

ELEVATED CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed May 16, 1907- Serial No. 374,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. NELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevated Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of elevated carriers which run on an overhead track, and it consists of an improvement in the details set forth in the following specification, and as more particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a per spective of a carrier embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is the same showing the carrier in a different position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the trip block which is applied to the track. Fig. 5 is the same in a diiferent position. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is the same on line 77 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a perspective of the latching device which is applied to a receptacle commonly used. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the track upon which the carrier runs, and which is preferably a wire stretched between two supports.

B is a receptacle to hold the material to be carried. It is hung between two hangers C and D which are referably made of pipe or tubing and are he d together at or near their top ends by a horizontally disposed connection E which is preferably also made of tubing. In the upper ends of the tubular hangers C and D, brackets F are inserted, and are arranged to swivel freely therein.

A preferable way is to make the inserted ends of these brackets tubular and to pass an eye bolt G therethrough. The upper end of the eye bolt is fitted with a head G which will permit the bracket to turn freely, while a pin or common bolt H is passed crosswise through the hanger and through the eye of the bolt so as to hold it in place. The upper end of the bracket is provided with an axle or stud pin I, and upon it a track wheel W is mounted. To prevent the wheel from running off the track a keeper is also mounted upon the axle I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and is arranged so it will hang of its own gravity and close the opening between the wheel and the lower part of the bracket.

The upper parts of the brackets carrying the wheels are off-set so the wheels will stand centrally in line with the lower end of the bracket and the hanger.

The receptacle is fitted on each end with pivot castings K which are adapted to hang in the lower ends of the hangers C and D, and to permit the receptacle to be turned upside down to discharge its load, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to hold the receptacle in loaded position a special form of double acting catch is secured to one of its ends near the upper edge anda latch rod L secured to the adjacent hanger is adapted to operate therein.

This catch is composed of a base M, two op' positely set fingers N and two wire springs O to hold the catches in latched position. The base M is made with an opening having a bar M across its center and with recessed ends 1V The fingers N have pivots N which are adapted to fit in the recesses of the ends M and with projections N to rest on the cross bar M. Their inner ends are fitted with shoulders which stand at substantially right in latched position as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The receptacle being righted so that the latch rod will come in contact with the catch, the finger next to it will spring down and let the end of the latch rod L in between their shoulders so that the receptacle will be held in loaded position. The lower end of the latch rod-is held in position by an eye P secured to the hanger D and its upper end by an angular shaped plate Q which is secured to the upper end of said hanger. The plate is so placed that the two sides or flanges will stand on an incline upwardly from the center which will be its lowest part.

The latch rod is'passed up through a hole in the center of the plate and is fitted with a crank which is pivoted to a connecting rod R. The other end of this rod is pivoted to a trip lever S, having its upper part S bent laterally at substantially right angles to its body so as to stand directly under and across the track. This latch lever is pivoted at its lower end to a bracket T which is attached to the latch lever back and forth will cause the crank of the latch rod to slide up and down in the angle of the plate Q so that it may be either dropped low enough to engage the fingers of the catch, or be raised high enough to become disengaged from them.

When the trip lever is set perpendicularly as shown in Fig. 1, the crank will be held at the lowest point in the center of the plate Q and the latch rod will come in contact with the fingers N and will hold the receptacle in loaded position. When the lever is pushed into a slanting position, as shown in Fig. 2, the crank will slide up the incline on that side of the plate, and the latch rod will be lifted above and released from the fingers N, and the receptacle will be free to turn on its pivots and discharge its load. The same thing will occur when the lever is pushed into a slanting position in the opposite direction.

To discharge the load at any point along the track, I use an adjustable trip block U, which as the carrier passes by it, will come in contact with the upper end of the trip lever and push it into tripped position, as ex plained. This block is preferably made in the form of a curve or double incline so as to project down in the center. It is secured at each end to the track rod or wire A by means of clips V having bolts (1 passed through them as shown in Figs. 4 to 7, and is held stationary on the wire by means of an eccentric X. The upper end of this eccentric, which is widened, is grooved so as to fit the wire and its lower end is preferably formed with a stem which is pivoted to the trip block U, the central and lower part of the block being preferably made with a recess into which the end of the stem is inserted and secured therein by arivet or pivot pin Z. The extreme ends Y of the block are extended outside of the clips V and are widened as shown in Fig. 7. In this way, should the trip block get swung to one side the flanges of the groove in the wheel WV will force down the Lip-raised corners of the ends Y, so that the block will hang directly below the track and be held in line with the upper end of the trip lever S.

In order to join the hangers C and D and the connecting pipe E more securely together I use a strengthening bar b which is bent to fit, and is secured to the hangers and connecting pipe by bolts or otherwise. Braces (Z may be added if desired to give it still greater strength, and the bracket T may be made a part of one of the strengthening bars 6, or be made separate as preferred. The track can be made curved or fitted with switches, as known to the art, the wheel supporting brackets being adapted to swivel for this purpose. The hangers and the bar which connects them constitutes a frame for the carrier. The latch rod is preferably formed with a bend a so as to facilitate the turning of the rod by hand from an unlatched to a latched position and vice versa.

The trip block may be readily fastened to the track wire by striking it sharply with a stick or otherwise on its right hand end, as shown in Fig. 5 so as to bring the eccentric into the position shown in Fig. 4. It can be as readily loosened therefrom by striking it on the left hand end, as shown in Fig. 4 so the eccentric will be changed back to position shown in Fig. 5. When loosened from the track it can be easily pushed along in either direction to any desired point.

What I claim is 1. In elevated carriers, an overhead track, swiveling brackets carrying wheels to run upon the track, a receptacle, and hangers to support the receptacle, the upper ends of said hangers being tubular and the lower ends of the brackets being inserted in said tubular ends, and. adapted to swivel therein.

2. In elevated carriers, an overheadv track, swiveling brackets carrying wheels to run upon the track, a receptacle, upright tubular hangers to support the receptacle, the lower ends of the brackets being inserted in the upper ends of the hangers, and being adapted to swivel therein.

3. In elevated carriers, an overhead track, swiveling brackets carrying wheels to run upon the track and having their lower ends tubular, a receptacle, upright tubular hangers to support the receptacle, the lower ends of the brackets being inserted in the upper ends of the hangers, and being adapted to swivel therein, and a bolt being inserted in the tubular part of the bracket and fitted to hold it in swiveling position.

4. In elevated carriers, an overhead track, swiveling brackets carrying wheels to run upon the track and having their lower ends tubular, a receptacle, upright tubular hangers to support the receptacle, the lower ends of the brackets being inserted in the upper ends of the hangers, and being adapted to swivel therein, an eye bolt being inserted in the tubular part of the bracket and a pin or an equivalent passed through the hangerand through the eye of the bolt so as to hold it in swiveling position.

5. In elevated carriers, an overhead track, a receptacle, hangers to support the receptacle and having tubular upper ends, swiveling brackets having their upper ends fitted to carry track wheels, and their lower ends inserted in the tubular ends of the hangers, and fitted to swivel therein, and the wheel carrying end of the bracket being offset from its swivel end, so the center of the wheel will be in line with the center of the swivel.

6. In a device of the character described, a bracket having an upper wheel carrying end, and a lower end set out of alinement, an axle fitted thereon, a wheel mounted upon the'axle and a keeper hung upon the outer end of the axle and operating by its gravity alone to close the opening between the wheel and the lower end of the bracket.

7. In elevated carriers, a receptacle, tubular hangers at each end to support the receptacle, a cross bar to connect the upper ends of the hangers, a track, and brackets carrying wheels to run on the .track and having ing pivots on each end, an overhead track,

a frame carrying wheels to run-upon the track, and having hangers to connect with the pivots and while supporting the receptacle, to permit it to turn over to discharge its load, a catch having two oppositely set fingers secured to one end of the receptacle, a vertically disposed latch rod, and means to raise and lower the latch rod so it will drop between the fingers and be released there from and hold or release the receptacle.

10. In a device of the character described, a frame, an inclined plate secured to an upper part of the frame, and having an opening in the lower portion thereof, a vertically disposed latch rod having a crank on its upper end inserted in the opening in the plate, a support for the lower end of the latch rod attached to a lower part of the frame, and means to slide the crank up and down the incline of the plate to raise and lower the rod.

11. In a device of the character described, a frame, an inclined plate secured to an upper part of the frame, and having an opening in the lower portion thereof, a vertically disposed latch rod having a crank on its upper end inserted in the opening in the plate, a support for the lower end of the latch rod attached to a lower part of the frame, a trip lever pivoted to the frame adjacent to the plate and a rod to connect the crank and the trip lever together.

12.- In a device of the character described, a frame, an inclined plate secured to an upper part of the frame, and having an opening in the lower portion thereof, a vertically disposed latch rod having a crank on its upper end inserted in the opening in the plate, a support for the lower end of the latch rod attached to a lower part of the frame, a trip lever pivoted to theframe adjacent to the plate, a rod connecting the crank and the trip lever together and means to operate the trip lever so as to raise and lower the trip rod.

13. In a device of the character described, a track, a frame carrying wheels to run upon the track, an inclined plate secured to an upper part of the frame, and having an opening in the lower part thereof, a vertically disposed latch rod having a crank on its upper end, inserted in the opening in the plate, a support for the lower end of the latch rod attached to a lower part of the frame, a trip lever pivoted to the frame adjacent to the plate, a rod connecting the crank and the trip lever together, and a trip block secured to the track and adapted to operate the trip lever so as to raise and lower the latch rod.

14. In a device of the character described, a track, a frame carrying wheels to run upon the track, a double inclined plate secured to an upper part of the frame, and having an opening in the lower part thereof, a vertically disposed latch rod having'a crank on its upper end, inserted in the opening in the plate, a support for the lower end of the latch. rod attached to a lower part of the frame, a trip lever pivoted to the frame adjacent to the plate, a rod connecting the crank and the trip lever together, and a trip block secured to the track and adapted to operate the trip lever in either direction so as to raise and lower the latch rod.

15. In adevice of the character described, a trip block made substantially in the form of a curve or double incline, clips adapted to embrace the track connected to each of its ends and means to adjustably secure the block to the track and release it therefrom.

16. In a device of the character described, a trip block made substantially in the form of a curve or double incline, clips adapted to embrace the track connected to each of its ends, and means centrally secured to the block to adjustably fasten it to the track and release it therefrom.

17. In a device of the character described, a trip block made substantially in the form of a curve or double incline, clips adapted to embrace the track connected to each of its ends and an eccentric secured to the block and adapted to fasten it to the track and release it therefrom.

18. In a device of the character described, a trip block made substantially in the form of a curve or double incline, clips adapted to embrace the track connected to each of its ends, and an eccentric having a widened upper end fitted with a groove and a stem pivoted to the central portion if the block and adapted to fasten it to the track by striking it on one end and to release it from the track by striking it on the other end.

19. In a device of the character described,

- a trip block made substantially in the form of a curve or double incline, clips adapted to embrace the track connected to each of its ends and means to secure the block to the track, said ends being extended beyond the clips and broadened, as and for the purpose set forth.

20. In a device of the character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted to run on the track, a receptacle pivoted. to the frame of the carriage so as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch applied to the receptacle having a base and two oppositely set spring actuated fingers, secured to one end of the receptacle and a latch device ar ranged to catch between the fingers and adapted to be released therefrom.

21. In a device of the character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted to run on the track, a receptacle pivoted at each end to the frame of the carriage so as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch applied to one end of the receptacle having a base, and two oppositely set spring actuated fingers, secured to one end of the receptacle and a latch device arranged to catch between the fingers and adapted to be released therefrom.

22. In a device of the character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted to run on the track, a receptacle pivoted to the frame of the carriage so as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch secured to an end of the receptacle having a base and two oppositely set spring actuated fingers pivoted at their outer ends to the base, and a latch device arranged to catch between the fingers and adapted to be released therefrom.

23. In a device of the character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted to run on the track, a receptacle pivoted to the frame of the carriage so as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch applied to the receptacle having a base and two oppositely set fingers pivoted at their outer ends to the base, and having wings on opposite sides, wire springs arranged to press against the wings and hold the fingers in latched position and a latch device arranged to catch between the fingers and adapted to be released therefrom.

24. In a device of they character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted'to run on the track, a receptacle pivoted to the frame of the carriage so as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch applied to the receptacle having a base and two oppositely set fingers pivoted at their outer ends to the base, and having wings on opposite sides, wire springs arranged to press against the wings and hold the fingers in latched position, a vertically disposed latch rod adapted to be raised and lowered so as to engage or be released from the fingers.

25. In adevice of the character described, an overhead track, a carriage adapted to, run on the track, a receptacle pivoted to the frame of the carriage so, as to turn over and discharge its load, a catch applied to the receptacle having a base and two oppositely set fingers pivoted to the base at their outer ends, a latch device arranged to catch between the fingers and hold the receptacle in loaded position, and a trip block adjusted on the track so as to operate the latch device and release it from the catch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. ALBERT H. NELLER. Witnesses:

C. S. FRY, WM. LoUDEN. 

